New Government Report: Potential Effects of a Ban on Direct-to-Consumer Advertising of New Prescription Drugs

Concerns about direct-to-consumer advertising of prescription drugs have spurred recent proposals for a moratorium on advertising brand-name prescription drugs to consumers during the first two years following a drug’s approval by the Food and Drug Administration. This report examines some of the effects of such a moratorium, drawing on data documenting direct-to-consumer advertising and other promotional activities used by pharmaceutical producers as well as academic analyses of how advertising has affected the market for drugs. Charts and tables. This is a print on demand edition of an important, hard-to-find publication.